More Endgame Errors

Working my way through more than 200 drawn pawn endgames is revealing how poor my endgame skills were fifteen to twenty years ago. I bought Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual in 2003 or 2004, and that was after training against Hiarcs or Fritz with 100 pawn endgames downloaded from a website with terrific tactics and ending PDFs.

I plan to develop training material for my students from these games.

White to move

Internet Opponent -- Stripes,J. [A46]
ICC 5 0 Internet Chess Club, 24.11.2003

37.Kd2

37.Ke3?! a5

     (37...g5 38.g4?? fxg4 39.hxg4 h4 40.Kxe4 a5 and Black has the upper hand)

38.g3 a4 39.Kd2 g5 and Black has the upper hand

37.h4=

37...f4

37...g5 and Black has the upper hand

38.b3+ Kd5

White to move

39.a3??

39.h4 is the only move that holds the draw.

39...g5–+

39...h4–+

Did I know that the game had suddenly turned in my favor?

40.Ke2 a5 41.Kd2 Kc5 42.Kc2

Black to move

42...b4??

42...g4 shows a grasp of the right idea.

43.axb4+ axb4 44.cxb4+??

44.c4=
44.g4=

44...Kxb4–+ 45.Kb2 g4 46.hxg4 hxg4 47.Kc2

Black to move

47...f3??

There is a breaktrough idea based on the square of the pawn. Either I was extremely harried because of the clock, or simply lacked understanding of this elementary endgame concept.

47...e3 48.fxe3 f3 49.gxf3 g3 and the pawn will promote.

47...Ka3 48.Kc3 e3 49.f3 gxf3 50.gxf3 e2 51.Kd2 Kxb3 52.Ke1 Kc2 53.Kxe2 Kc3 54.Ke1 Kd3-+

48.gxf3 exf3 49.Kd2= Kxb3 50.Ke3 Kc4 51.Kf4 Kd4 52.Kxg4 Ke4 53.Kg3

Black to move

53...Ke5

The only move, but at least at this point in my life, I had an understanding of the opposition.

54.Kxf3 Kf5= 

Black was stalemated on move 73